The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-25
THE FARMER DIDN'T BITE.
He Had Seen the Elephant and Knew
Trunk from Tail.

A Middletown, n Y, dispatch to the
New York Times says: Darwin Davis, an
old-fashioned and well-to-do farmer of the
neighboring town of Norwich, tells of re-
cent interview with couple Of atfable
strangers, as follows:
"Thc other morning man called at my
house and wanted to buy farm. He said
his name was DR.. Miles, and he lived in
Rutland, VT, and he wanted the farm for
his sister, rich California widow, who
wanted to settle down with her children in
this part of the country. His sister, he
said, had a pile of money, and he inquired
If the banks were sound around here. | told
him did not know much about any of the
banks except the old Norwich Bank, and |
considered that good enough to keep my
money for me- He said that my farm had
been recommended to him as Just the one
he wanted and he had called to look at it, So
the doctor and started Off up the road to
look over the farm Pretty soon we were
overtaken by a well dressed and glib-spoken
young fellow in buggy, who hailed us and
inquired how far it was before the road
turned off to the left. | gave him the in
formation he wanted, and then he got out
of the buggy and came up to us and began
talking about a big advertising scheme he
was working among the farmers for firm
in New Orleans. He said he was from New
Orleans and was a nephew of Gen. Beaure-
gard, but he didn't go into the Confederate
army because he wasn't big enough at that
titlle.
Then he said if he had time to spare he'd
show us new game of draw that was all
the go down in New Orleans, so he pulled
out four cards, three with black spots, and
one with red spots, and he shutfled them up
and turned them over face downward. The
game was, he said, to pay quarter and
draw, and if you drawed the red card and
showed s., then you got So. He wanted us
to try it, for the fun of the thing, and see
what our luck would be DR.. Miles drawcd
and got the red card first draw, and then
tried it and got the red card the same way.
''Beauregard said we had extraordinary
luck, but he'd bet us 81 900 against S. in
earnest, that we couldn't both of us draw
the red card again the first time we tried it,
DR. Miles took the bet and drawed, and got
it, too Beauregard said he wouldn't play
no more draw with such lucky men as we
were-he'd lost enough. But his firm al
ways told him to be honorable and do lust
as he agreed, and as he had lost the 81 900 he'd
pay it, provided that we could show that
we were responsible and honorable and had
81 600 to pay with in case we lost that
amount. Then he pulled out big roll of
bills and commenced counting out the
81 600 DR.. Miles said he hadn't got so
much money with him, and offered a check
on the Rutland Bank, but Bcauregard said
he must show the cash. Then the doctor
proposed that | should go to the Norwich
Bank and get the 81 900 and bring it there
ard show it, and he would give me half the
$1,000 he had won.
about this time I began to see a niger
in the wood pile, and the more | thought
about it the bigger that darby got to be. So
| said to Beauregard: Young man, you
might just as well put that money back in
your pocket, for don't want it. I've seen
the elephant, and l know which end his
tail is on With that Beauregard got mad
and jumped into his buggy and rode away
Dr. Miles and | started back toward my
house and on the way / told him that |
thought Beauregard was trying to play a
confidence game on me and that he had a
hand in it. Why, Davis, said he, how can
you think 500 ! belong to the Presbyterian
church up in Rutland, and our minister
don't allow us to handle cards Pretty
soon DR.. Miles went away, and that's the
last I've heard about his buying my farm"